by Kevin Mclain

Created on: August 07, 2008   Last Updated: June 04, 2011

Women have often said that we men are insensitive and selfish; we seem to be self-absorbed and at times luke warm. This is a common misunderstanding about the disposition of men and knowing what I know now about the opposite sex, I understand how infuriating it can be for women. You see, I discovered recently that women process emotions differently then men. Women seem to become emotional for longer periods of time and seem to remember times of emotional distress much longer than us men. The conclusion to this is that our brains are just not meant to be as emotionally stimulated.

I remember a time I was out walking with my girlfriend. We often take walks around the neighborhood just for fun. She loves nature; anything to do with plants, wildlife or just a nice sunny day. She comments on everything and although probably many guys would say that women talk too much about random things, I like listening to her chat. She has a sweet voice and I can sometimes get lost in her words. I know this is the part where a lot of ladies will berate me for not being a good listener. I should have been enjoying the sweet sound of her voice and remembering everything that she says, right?

Well, I wasn't. At least, I wasn't all the time. She asked me a question and my mind went blank momentarily. And of' course she was a little angry. I'm sure this has happened to some of you women; your man seems more interested in something else than what you are saying. Men are not perfect, but the issues that women often get mad about are really just men being men. Men really do have one track minds, but they are focused minds. If we were as emotional and deep as you ladies then you wouldn't need someone to comfort you and to hold you when times were hard. Men get their satisfaction in knowing that they are needed.

I told my girlfriend the truth, that I wasn't listening to everything that she said; I wasn't trying to tune out some of her words and I certainly was interested in what she had to say. She is my whole world and I want to put her before everything else. I made it clear to her that I am just not capable to being as emotionally deep as her and that women are made to multi-task; where as men are not. She was glad that I told her the truth. She knew that women are easily triggered into emotional responses and that does not make her inferior to me.

I've realized over the years that us men do not easily take criticisms. Men are prideful and we hate to admit when we are wrong. The last thing a guy wants to hear is an "I told you so...". The best way to get a guy to apologize is to act as if he already has. Tell him you forgive him and that you still love him because the quickest way to emasculate a man is for his woman to go against him.

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